Ever wish that life

had a 'restart' option?

Feel like running

away and starting new?

All of us have had

moments when we've felt that way.  We all

have regrets and we've all made our share of mistakes.  Sure, we know that we have forgiveness and a

second chance through Jesus.  However,

Jesus doesn't erase our mistakes or the natural consequences of them.  He doesn't take us back where we missed it to

allow us to try again.

In Exodus chapter

16, we find God's people in a similar situation.  God had set them free from literal slavery

and harsh mistreatment.  He promised to

give them a land all of their own that was rich in abundant blessings.  He was leading them to it by a cloud by day

and fire by night. 

As they crossed

through the dessert on their way to it, they began to have regrets.  They were looking forward to where they were

heading, but were growing weary on their way there.  They wished that they were back in their

slavery.  Even in those horrific

circumstances, they fondly remembered the good food that they were able to

enjoy.

They began to

grumble and complain and even began to say that they wished that they had just

died at the hands of their captors, the Egyptians.  Their hope had dried up and their trust in

God had withered.  This happens as we try

to go backward in life and forget about God's promises and where He is taking

us. 

Regret is a

relentless beast with an unquenchable hunger and thirst for our hope.  It swallows it whole and leaves us

empty.  Resist the enemy of regret by

remembering the promises that you are heading into and the good things that God

has done for you in the past!

God responds to

their grumbling in this way:

Exodus 16:2-5

2 In the desert the

whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to

them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around

pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into

this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

4 Then the Lord said

to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out

each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see

whether they will follow my instructions. 5 On the sixth day they are to prepare

what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other

days.”

God chose to respond

to their grumbling with the test of a blessing. 

God provided them the meat that they craved and daily provided them a

unique bread from Heaven.  It was white

in color and tasted like wafers of honey probably much like Baklava today.  God promised to provide just as much as they

needed every day and twice the day before the Sabbath so that they could rest

on it and not gather.

Every day was a

fresh start.  Every day God miraculously

provided them exactly what they needed. 

Every day God proved Himself faithful, trustworthy, and reliable.  Every day God gave His people the opportunity

to simply trust Him.  God was patient

with His people.  God was giving them

chance after chance to grow and mature and develop their faith enough to be

able to walk into His promises and take hold of them.

Did the people trust

what God said and instructed them in? 

Nope!

They were told to

gather about three pounds of it per person.